Light Meters And Histograms

For the best pictures, good lighting is very important.The looks of a picture is greatly affected by the amount of light. It even makes a difference in the emotional feel of the photo.If the picture is dark, it may seem gloomy, or perhaps it might seem mysterious. Pictures with brighter lighting appear more cheerful.Image via Wikipedia

Traditional photography captured the light by impressions on chemicals, while digital photography uses pixels to capture light.The best light is natural, but sometimes there's not enough available for a good picture.If you don't have enough light to illuminate the subject of your picture, it's time for artificial lighting.

How Much Light Is There?

While you can see for yourself to some extent how much light is available, to get precise measurements you need a light meter.Flashes and light meters are two different things.Light meters are made to tell how much light is being reflected off a subject, not to provide lighting.

A handheld light meter will measure the light and was once a standard part of any serious photographer’s equipment.With today's digital cameras having a built-in light meter, hand held light meters aren't so important. You can look through the viewfinder and see how bright the picture will be.The automatic flash is set off by the camera's built-in light meter when it's too dark for a good picture.

Histograms Instead of Light Meters

Also, with digital cameras, it’s not so important to have a light meter because most have a histogram.In similar fashion, a histogram shows how light or dark a picture is.

If you don’t have a histogram on your camera, or just don’t want to fuss with it, the simplest method is to take a picture and review it to see how it looks, and if it’s too dark or light, adjust by adding more light or lowering the amount of light.

The perfect lighting is there. Just practice lots, have patience, and you'll find it.